11,100 files destroyed, Gandhi assassination records safe: Govt

July 11, 2014 17:42 IST

11,000 files were destroyed as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's orders to weed out files and papers but none of these related to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

Singh said this in a suo motu statement in Rajya Sabha two days after CPI-M MP P Rajeev alleged on the basis of media reports that 1.5 lakh files including those relating to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi were destroyed on directions of the prime minister.

He said the files were destroyed after the prime minister stressed on improving work culture and hygiene and cleanliness of work place. A Cabinet secretary instruction had said that "files and papers should be weeded out in accordance with rules of record keeping."

"In accordance with the instructions, the files lying in different sections of the home ministry were reviewed and a total of 11,100 files were destroyed during the period June 5-July 8 this year," he said.

"None of the 11,100 files so destroyed, relate to Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. This is also to inform that none of the files destroyed, related to either Rajendra Prasad, Lal Bahadur Shastri or Lord Mountbatten as alleged by the MP," the home minister said.

He said 52 files, 67 exhibits and 11,186 papers related to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi were safe and secure in the national archives.